Maestro Joseph Vella

The sign outside the Astra theatre in Victoria, Gozo said it all: “Grazzi Surmast”, – a simple acknowledgement of the life and achievements of an extraordinary man.

Joe Vella is known both locally and way beyond our shores as both a gifted musician and a sweet, humble, unpretentious Gozitan guy. He is, justifiably, universally lauded for his skill as both a composer of genius and an empathetic and intuitive conductor. His prowess in the world of classical and church music has been well celebrated elsewhere, but Joe Vella musician had yet another side to him and it is this that I would like to dwell upon.

My association with Joe Vella began more than 40 years ago when I was pointed in his direction as a possible musical director for a revue that Colin Easton and I were writing for the MADC. Most people who know me will be well aware that I am to music what Wayne Rooney is to the works of Dostoyevsky. Nonetheless, any decent revue requires quite a bit of music and here is where Joe Vella really came up trumps. Colin and I had scripted a number of song lyrics, which were totally useless without the music. I am tone-deaf and Colin was the next best – or worst thing. So we hummed an approximation of our so-called songs to Joe. He sighed, then patiently worked them over on the piano while we looked on in awe. Somehow, despite our tuneless groaning he came up with some absolutely brilliant tunes. Some of it poppy, some in the style of Broadway musicals. How he did it I’ll never know, it was certainly nothing like what we had originally envisaged, but needless to say, a vast improvement… and how.

My association with the maestro continued through all the early MADC pantomimes at the Manoel Theatre, where as MD his patience and sheer professionalism saw us through some pretty hairy moments. And all this at a time in his life where a family tragedy caused the maestro much distress. So to say that he sailed serenely through these early pantos would not be strictly true, but whatever the challenges… and there were plenty… Joe Vella made sure that everyone around him…whether musicians or morons (like me)… were never once made to feel inferior or incompetent.

He was certainly one of a kind, a brilliant musician and a lovely, lovely man; as the huge crowd that turned out for his appropriately upbeat funeral underlined. They really don’t make them like Joe Vella any more. Our thoughts go out to Natalie and the boys at this very sad time. Jon R.